US4125735A - Synthesis of esters of acetylenic alcohols - Google Patents

Synthesis of esters of acetylenic alcohols Download PDF

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US4125735A
US4125735A US05/622,851 US62285175A US4125735A US 4125735 A US4125735 A US 4125735A US 62285175 A US62285175 A US 62285175A US 4125735 A US4125735 A US 4125735A
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acetylene
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Ralph E. Close
William Oroshnik
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    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07DHETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
    • C07D311/00Heterocyclic compounds containing six-membered rings having one oxygen atom as the only hetero atom, condensed with other rings
    • C07D311/02Heterocyclic compounds containing six-membered rings having one oxygen atom as the only hetero atom, condensed with other rings ortho- or peri-condensed with carbocyclic rings or ring systems
    • C07D311/04Benzo[b]pyrans, not hydrogenated in the carbocyclic ring
    • C07D311/58Benzo[b]pyrans, not hydrogenated in the carbocyclic ring other than with oxygen or sulphur atoms in position 2 or 4
    • C07D311/70Benzo[b]pyrans, not hydrogenated in the carbocyclic ring other than with oxygen or sulphur atoms in position 2 or 4 with two hydrocarbon radicals attached in position 2 and elements other than carbon and hydrogen in position 6
    • C07D311/723,4-Dihydro derivatives having in position 2 at least one methyl radical and in position 6 one oxygen atom, e.g. tocopherols
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07CACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
    • C07C11/00Aliphatic unsaturated hydrocarbons
    • C07C11/22Aliphatic unsaturated hydrocarbons containing carbon-to-carbon triple bonds
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07CACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
    • C07C67/00Preparation of carboxylic acid esters
    • C07C67/28Preparation of carboxylic acid esters by modifying the hydroxylic moiety of the ester, such modification not being an introduction of an ester group
    • C07C67/283Preparation of carboxylic acid esters by modifying the hydroxylic moiety of the ester, such modification not being an introduction of an ester group by hydrogenation of unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07CACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
    • C07C67/00Preparation of carboxylic acid esters
    • C07C67/28Preparation of carboxylic acid esters by modifying the hydroxylic moiety of the ester, such modification not being an introduction of an ester group
    • C07C67/293Preparation of carboxylic acid esters by modifying the hydroxylic moiety of the ester, such modification not being an introduction of an ester group by isomerisation; by change of size of the carbon skeleton
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C07ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C07CACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
    • C07C2527/00Catalysts comprising the elements or compounds of halogens, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, phosphorus or nitrogen; Catalysts comprising carbon compounds
    • C07C2527/24Nitrogen compounds

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the synthesis of dehydrophytol (3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,5-dien-1-ol) and the production of Vitamin E therefrom.
  • Vitamin E that is, alpha-tocopherol (5, 7, 8-trimethyltocol) in the past has been accomplished primarily by reacting trimethylhydroquinone (TMHQ) with isophytol (3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadec-1-en-3-ol) or phytol (3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol) in a condensation reaction.
  • TMHQ trimethylhydroquinone
  • isophytol 3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadec-1-en-3-ol
  • phytol 3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol
  • 353,215 resides in part in the discovery that successful coupling of the intermediate and isoprene chloroacetate permitted elimination of at least one additional step in the Vitamin A synthesis.
  • the present invention resides in part in the discovery that "isoprene chloroacetate" is also a useful reactant in the synthesis of Vitamin E.
  • the present invention resides in an improved and economical process for the production of dehydrophytol and Vitamin E and in particular in a process wherein hexahydropsuedoionone is reacted with a metal acetylide in a condensation reaction to form the corresponding C 15 acetylenic carbinol which in turn through a series of reactions is coupled with isoprene chloroacetate to form a C 20 acetoxy enyne. The latter by a further series of hydrogenation and saponification reactions forms the compound dehydrophytol.
  • Dehydrophytol in turn couples with trimethylhydroquinone to give dehydro-Vitamin E, which can then by hydrogenated to give Vitamin E.
  • a feature of the present invention is reductive removal of the hydroxyl group of the C 15 acetylenic carbinol prior to coupling with isoprene chloroacetate. This is accomplished by first replacing the hydroxyl group with a halogen or alkyl or aryl sulfonate and then subjecting the substituted compound to direct replacement with hydrogen. This latter reaction results in the production of an allene which is rearranged to the desired acetylene.
  • temperature is in degrees Centigrade and percentages are in terms of percentage by weight, unless otherwise specified.
  • FIGURE is a flow diagram illustrating a preferred process for the synthesis of Vitamin E in accordance with the present invention.
  • the process starts with the reaction of hexahydropseudoionone with a metal acetylide to form a hexahydropseudo-ionone derivative [formula (1)] having a terminal acetylene group and methyl and hydroxyl groups on the adjacent carbon atom.
  • This compound in a series of novel steps is halogenated and then reacted with zinc and glacial acetic acid to form the corresponding allene [formula (3)], the latter being isomerized in a solution of sodamide in ethylene diamine and ether to form the C 15 acetylene compound represented by formula (4).
  • Hexahydropseudo-ionone (note the FIGURE) is an available material produced by complete hydrogenation of the double bonds of pseudo-ionone, e.g., by catalytic hydrogenation.
  • the hexahydropseudo-ionone is reacted with a metal acetylide such as lithium or sodium acetylide, in a known condensation reaction using conventional chemistry to provide 3, 7, 11-trimethyl-3-hydroxy-1-dodecyne (1), a C 15 acetylenic (ethynyl) carbinol compound having a terminal acetylene group and methyl and hydroxyl groups on the adjacent carbon atom.
  • a metal acetylide such as lithium or sodium acetylide
  • the carbinol of formula (1) is converted to the corresponding chloride, 3, 7, 11-trimethyl-3-chloro-1-dodecyne (2) by dissolving the carbinol in a concentrated hydrochloric acid solution saturated with dry hydrogen chloride at about -25° to -10°.
  • the conversion is carried out at -10° to 0°, under atmospheric pressure, preferably in the presence of cuprous chloride resulting in a substantially quantitative recovery of the chloride.
  • the product, an acetylenic chloride or propargylic chloride is a clean water-white oil.
  • the above reaction can be carried out with any hydrogen halide, e.g., hydrogen bromide, or following other procedures.
  • any hydrogen halide e.g., hydrogen bromide, or following other procedures.
  • the chloride of formula (2) is reductively dehalogenated to the corresponding C 15 allene, 3, 7, 11-trimethyldodeca-1,2-diene, by dissolving and stirring the chloride in a mixture of glacial acetic acid mixed with zinc dust, using the following proportions:
  • the reaction is exothermic but is carried out at room temperature by cooling, although this is not critical. Quenching in water after filtering off the unreacted zinc dust, taking up the oil precipitate with a solvent such as hexane, further washing, drying and concentrating, results in a crude product of 80% purity. This is then distilled at 0.5 mm pressure with very little or no polymerization to give a product of 84% purity. The yield of desired product was 85% of theoretical yield.
  • the reaction is carried out by adding the allene dropwise to a solution of sodium amide (NaNH 2 ) in ethylene diamine-ether (30:70) maintained at room temperature.
  • the reaction mixture is agitated during addition and for about 2 to 3 hours thereafter, followed by quenching with aqueous ammonium chloride and distillation.
  • diene does not interfere in the subsequent coupling reaction of the acetylene with "isoprene chloroacetate" (1-acetoxy-4-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene), as it is merely an inert component in the reaction mixture.
  • the resultant C 15 acetylene product is 3, 7, 11-trimethyldodeca-1-yne (4).
  • the ammonia and sodium are combined in the presence of a catalytic amount of Fe (NO 3 ) 3 .9H 2 O at the boiling temperature of NH 3 to obtain a solution of NaNH 2 in liquid NH 3 .
  • the ether, ethylene diamine and allene are then added in that order. After a reaction period of about 41/2 hours, quenching and work up, 54.4 grams of distilled product (63.5% acetylene) was obtained.
  • the compound of formula (4) is coupled with isoprene chloroacetate (1-acetoxy-4-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene) (4a) to form the basic C 20 skeleton of dehydrophytol.
  • the chloroacetate is known and prepared by the chlorhydrination of isoprene in glacial acetic acid as described in an article by W. Oroshnik and R. A. Mallory, J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 72, 4608 (1950). It can be represented by the following formula: ##STR1##
  • the isoprene chloroacetate may be prepared by the method described in copending application Ser. No. 359,011 filed May 10, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,307, by Carlos G. Cardenas, assigned to assignee of the present application.
  • the coupling reaction may be carried out employing several methods. The following methods are preferred.
  • This coupling reaction involves pre-forming a cuprous salt of the C 15 acetylene compound of formula (4) and then reacting the salt with the coupling reactant "isoprene chloroacetate" (4a) in an aprotic solvent such as dimethyl formamide (DMF).
  • the cuprous salt is formed by reacting the C 15 acetylene compound with a Grignard reagent such as methyl magnesium chloride in the presence of tetrahydrofuran (THF) giving off methane as a gas to form an acetylenic Grignard compound and then adding cuprous chloride, copper replacing the magnesium chloride group.
  • a Grignard reagent such as methyl magnesium chloride
  • THF tetrahydrofuran
  • the Grignard reagent was added dropwise to a solution of 11 ml of THF (tetrahydrofuran) and the acetylene at less than 30°, followed by warming to 60° and maintaining this temperature for 2 hours. This was followed by cooling, addition of CuCl, and addition of the chloroacetate with the remaining THF. The DMF is then added and the THF removed under vacuum heating up to 50°. The coupling reaction was carried out at about 90° for 6 hours, producing 3.0 grams of pure product (28% of theoretical yield).
  • THF tetrahydrofuran
  • An alternative method comprises forming a complex molecule of cuprous chloride and Honig's base ##STR2## in DMF, the latter also having the C 15 acetylene compound dissolved therein. This forms the copper salt which is then reacted with "isoprene chloroacetate" (4a) as in Method A.
  • isoprene chloroacetate 4a
  • Other aprotic solvents and combinations thereof can be employed.
  • other amines such as t-butyl amine can be employed. Yields of the C 20 enyne employing Method B are comparable to those employing Method A.
  • the compound of formula (5) is next subjected to selective hydrogenation to convert the acetylenic bond to an ethylenic bond.
  • This can be readily accomplished by a number of different catalysts, such as a nickel catalyst prepared from a nickel salt and NaBH 4 , Lindlar catalyst, or 5% palladium on barium sulfate in the presence of quinoline.
  • Selective semihydrogenation is commonplace, for instance as to conditions, amounts and procedures. In this particular example, the reaction was run at one atmosphere. Analyses by nuclear magnetic resonance and vapor phase chromatography showed the correct structure in good quantity.
  • the product obtained was 3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,5-dien-1-acetate (6), a C 20 dienol acetate.
  • the acetate of formula (6) is dissolved in 1-2% methanolic NaOH and allowed to stand for 12 hours at room temperature under nitrogen. The reaction mixture is then quenched with water, and the precipitated oil is taken up in hexane. The hexane solution after drying with anhydrous sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate is concentrated under vacuum, and the residual oil can either be distilled under high vacuum or used as such in the subsequent steps. High yields of dehydrophytol [3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,5-dien-1-ol (7)] were obtained. UV absorption showed no detectable conjugation. The product was chromatographed on alumina, which gave a pure material.
  • dehydro-Vitamin E 0.45 grams (1.54 millimoles) dehydrophytol of formula (7) is reacted with 0.23 grams (1.51 millimoles) trimethylhydroquinone to yield dehydro-Vitamin E following the procedure published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Volume 36, (19) pages 2910-12 (1971), by Wehrli, Fryer and Metlesics. Essentially the method involves first forming a TMHQ-BF 3 complex in methylene chloride (2 ml) containing one equivalent of nitromethane (0.090 ml) and no excess BF 3 , by bubbling in the BF 3 and precipitating the complex.
  • dehydrophytol is then added with 3.5 ml of methylene chloride at -20° C.; and the reaction is carried out for a period at -20° C., then at -10° C., and finally at room temperature to yield dehydro-Vitamin E.
  • the dehydro-Vitamin E obtained is hydrogenated with a platinum catalyst in methanol. Good yields of Vitamin E (alphatocopherol) are obtained.
  • R 1 is COR 2 , R 2 is methyl, R 4 is methyl and R 6 is hydrogen with R 5 being any of the following:
  • R 5 being as previously defined: ##STR5## Selective partial or total hydrogenation and saponification of the reaction product then yields products with the following skeletons depending upon the structure of R 5 .
  • the reaction product may be 3,7-dimethyloctanol (or any of the others listed in the right-hand column of Table 2) if the hydrogenation is complete; or alternatively, the reaction product may have some unsaturated sites remaining while maintaining the same structure or arrangement of carbon atoms if the hydrogenation is less complete.
  • ketones of formula (10) can be made by the known reaction of ketones with the alkali metal salts of acetylenes, and specifically by the steps outlined above with reference to hexahydropseudo-ionone.
  • ketones for instance, to produce the compound of formula (10) with the R 5 radicals listed in Table 1, the following ketones could be used:
  • acetone is reacted with a compound such as lithium acetylide to produce a C 5 -acetylenic carbinol ##STR6## which, when reductively dehydroxylated by the reaction sequence used for going from the C 15 -acetylenic carbinol to the C 15 -acetylene, and coupled with isoprene chloroacetate, forms a basic C 10 skeleton capable of being hydrogenated and saponified to dimethyloctanol (C 10 H 22 O).
  • a compound such as lithium acetylide

Abstract

A process for the synthesis of perfume products, Vitamin E and intermediates described herein involving a coupling reaction. For instance, a process for the synthesis of dehydrophytol and Vitamin E comprising forming a C15 acetylene from hexahydropseudoionone and then coupling said acetylene with 1-acetoxy-4-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene to form a C20 acetoxy-enyne. The latter is readily subjected to partial hydrogenation and saponification in that order to form a dehydrophytol, a useful intermediate for the synthesis of Vitamin E and other products.

Description

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 560,550, filed Mar. 20, 1975, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,575.
Related application Ser. No. 622,974 filed Oct. 16, 1975, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,591, is also a division of Ser. No. 560,550.
The present invention relates to the synthesis of dehydrophytol (3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,5-dien-1-ol) and the production of Vitamin E therefrom.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The synthesis of Vitamin E, that is, alpha-tocopherol (5, 7, 8-trimethyltocol) in the past has been accomplished primarily by reacting trimethylhydroquinone (TMHQ) with isophytol (3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadec-1-en-3-ol) or phytol (3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol) in a condensation reaction. The reaction is well known and has been practiced for many years.
The various routes to phytol and isophytol have been reviewed by Stalla-Bourdillon, Ind. Chim. Belg., 35, 13 (1970); and also in "The Vitamins," Vol. 5, pages 168-223, Academic Press, New York, 1967. With few exceptions, these routes utilize a C10 intermediate (natural or synthetic) and proceed to the C20 phytol or isophytol by sequential addition of various carbon units (C4 or less). The steps are numerous, and the syntheses are costly.
In copending application Ser. No. 353,215, filed Apr. 23, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,006, on "Synthesis of Vitamin A Intermediates and Conversion Thereof to Vitamin A," by William Oroshnik, a novel process is disclosed which comprises forming an ethynyl-terminated alkoxy-substituted beta-ionol intermediate from beta-ionone and then coupling such intermediate with a compound like "isoprene chloroacetate" (1-acetoxy-4-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene) to produce a C20 skeleton. The latter by semi-hydrogenation, hydrolysis and treatment with a strong base produced Vitamin A. The invention of copending application Ser. No. 353,215 resides in part in the discovery that successful coupling of the intermediate and isoprene chloroacetate permitted elimination of at least one additional step in the Vitamin A synthesis. The present invention resides in part in the discovery that "isoprene chloroacetate" is also a useful reactant in the synthesis of Vitamin E.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention resides in an improved and economical process for the production of dehydrophytol and Vitamin E and in particular in a process wherein hexahydropsuedoionone is reacted with a metal acetylide in a condensation reaction to form the corresponding C15 acetylenic carbinol which in turn through a series of reactions is coupled with isoprene chloroacetate to form a C20 acetoxy enyne. The latter by a further series of hydrogenation and saponification reactions forms the compound dehydrophytol. Dehydrophytol in turn couples with trimethylhydroquinone to give dehydro-Vitamin E, which can then by hydrogenated to give Vitamin E.
A feature of the present invention is reductive removal of the hydroxyl group of the C15 acetylenic carbinol prior to coupling with isoprene chloroacetate. This is accomplished by first replacing the hydroxyl group with a halogen or alkyl or aryl sulfonate and then subjecting the substituted compound to direct replacement with hydrogen. This latter reaction results in the production of an allene which is rearranged to the desired acetylene.
For purposes of the present application, temperature is in degrees Centigrade and percentages are in terms of percentage by weight, unless otherwise specified.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention may best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the FIGURE is a flow diagram illustrating a preferred process for the synthesis of Vitamin E in accordance with the present invention.
The process starts with the reaction of hexahydropseudoionone with a metal acetylide to form a hexahydropseudo-ionone derivative [formula (1)] having a terminal acetylene group and methyl and hydroxyl groups on the adjacent carbon atom. This compound in a series of novel steps is halogenated and then reacted with zinc and glacial acetic acid to form the corresponding allene [formula (3)], the latter being isomerized in a solution of sodamide in ethylene diamine and ether to form the C15 acetylene compound represented by formula (4). Coupling with isoprene chloroacetate to form the basic C20 enyne skeleton [formula (5)] is then carried out, for instance, following the teachings of copending application Ser. No. 353,215. Dehydrophytol (7) is obtained by the successive steps of partial hydrogenation of the acetylenic group, and saponification.
In the drawing and following examples, the numbers assigned to the various atoms of the formulae follow the conventional numbering system for tocopherols, both with regard to the product Vitamin E and intermediate compounds preceding Vitamin E. In other words, in the interest of facilitating understanding of the invention, each carbon atom of the intermediate compounds is given that number it will eventually have in the final alphatocopherol molecule. The numbering system for tocopherols can be found in Methods in Enzymology, Vol. XVIII, "Vitamins and Coenzymes," Part C, page 242, Donald B. McCormick and L. D. Wright, Academic Press (1971). This does not however apply to the naming of the compounds.
It is also understood that in the following formulae and equations, single bond lines attached to a carbon atom with no atom indicated represent the attachment of a methyl group to the atom.
EXAMPLE
Hexahydropseudo-ionone (note the FIGURE) is an available material produced by complete hydrogenation of the double bonds of pseudo-ionone, e.g., by catalytic hydrogenation. The hexahydropseudo-ionone is reacted with a metal acetylide such as lithium or sodium acetylide, in a known condensation reaction using conventional chemistry to provide 3, 7, 11-trimethyl-3-hydroxy-1-dodecyne (1), a C15 acetylenic (ethynyl) carbinol compound having a terminal acetylene group and methyl and hydroxyl groups on the adjacent carbon atom. Again, the numbering system applied in the drawing for this formula and succeeding formulae follows the conventional numbering system for the tocopherols, each carbon atom being given the number it will eventually have in the alpha-tocopherol molecule.
A method for the preparation of compound (1) can be found in the publication F. G. Fisher and K. Lowenberg, Liebigs Ann. Chem., 475, 183 (1929). The subject matter of this publication is incorporated herein by reference. Specific pages of interest are pages 495 and 521.
Halogenation
The carbinol of formula (1) is converted to the corresponding chloride, 3, 7, 11-trimethyl-3-chloro-1-dodecyne (2) by dissolving the carbinol in a concentrated hydrochloric acid solution saturated with dry hydrogen chloride at about -25° to -10°. The conversion is carried out at -10° to 0°, under atmospheric pressure, preferably in the presence of cuprous chloride resulting in a substantially quantitative recovery of the chloride. The product, an acetylenic chloride or propargylic chloride, is a clean water-white oil.
In a particular example, 78.8 grams (0.351 mole) of the C15 ethynylcarbinol is added at -25° to a mixture of 550 ml concentrated HCl and 18.5 grams of CuCl into which HCl gas has been bubbled until in excess. After warming to 0°-5° and at the end of a reaction period of about 2 hours, the reaction mixture was extracted with pentane and worked-up following conventional procedures to yield 87.3 grams of crude product.
The above reaction can be carried out with any hydrogen halide, e.g., hydrogen bromide, or following other procedures.
Dehalogenation to Allene (3)
The chloride of formula (2) is reductively dehalogenated to the corresponding C15 allene, 3, 7, 11-trimethyldodeca-1,2-diene, by dissolving and stirring the chloride in a mixture of glacial acetic acid mixed with zinc dust, using the following proportions:
______________________________________                                    
C.sub.15 -Propargylic chloride*                                           
                       87.3   grams                                       
Zinc dust (activated with                                                 
                       87.3   grams                                       
dilute HCl)                                                               
HOAC (glacial)         850    ml                                          
______________________________________                                    
The reaction is exothermic but is carried out at room temperature by cooling, although this is not critical. Quenching in water after filtering off the unreacted zinc dust, taking up the oil precipitate with a solvent such as hexane, further washing, drying and concentrating, results in a crude product of 80% purity. This is then distilled at 0.5 mm pressure with very little or no polymerization to give a product of 84% purity. The yield of desired product was 85% of theoretical yield.
Rearrangement to C15 Acetylene
Although there are many examples of basic reagents for bringing about the isomerization of allenes to acetylenes, a solution of sodium amide (NaNH2) in ethylene diamine (H2 N--CH2 --CH2 --NH2) produces an 87% by weight yield of distilled product of 70% purity. The bulk of the impurity is a conjugated diene.
The reaction is carried out by adding the allene dropwise to a solution of sodium amide (NaNH2) in ethylene diamine-ether (30:70) maintained at room temperature. The reaction mixture is agitated during addition and for about 2 to 3 hours thereafter, followed by quenching with aqueous ammonium chloride and distillation.
The presence of the diene does not interfere in the subsequent coupling reaction of the acetylene with "isoprene chloroacetate" (1-acetoxy-4-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene), as it is merely an inert component in the reaction mixture.
The resultant C15 acetylene product is 3, 7, 11-trimethyldodeca-1-yne (4).
In a particular example, the following components were employed:______________________________________C15 allene* 76.2 gramsNa 13.5 grams (0.59 gram-atoms)NH3 700 mlether (anhydrous) 700 mlNH2 CH2 CH2 NH2 280 ml(dried over molecular sieves)______________________________________
The ammonia and sodium are combined in the presence of a catalytic amount of Fe (NO3)3.9H2 O at the boiling temperature of NH3 to obtain a solution of NaNH2 in liquid NH3. The ether, ethylene diamine and allene are then added in that order. After a reaction period of about 41/2 hours, quenching and work up, 54.4 grams of distilled product (63.5% acetylene) was obtained.
Coupling Reaction to the Acetate of the C20 Enyne
The compound of formula (4) is coupled with isoprene chloroacetate (1-acetoxy-4-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene) (4a) to form the basic C20 skeleton of dehydrophytol. The chloroacetate is known and prepared by the chlorhydrination of isoprene in glacial acetic acid as described in an article by W. Oroshnik and R. A. Mallory, J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 72, 4608 (1950). It can be represented by the following formula: ##STR1## Alternatively, the isoprene chloroacetate may be prepared by the method described in copending application Ser. No. 359,011 filed May 10, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,307, by Carlos G. Cardenas, assigned to assignee of the present application.
The coupling reaction results in the preparation of 3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethyl-1-acetoxyhexadec-2-en-5-yne(5), a C20 enyne.
The coupling reaction may be carried out employing several methods. The following methods are preferred.
method A
This coupling reaction involves pre-forming a cuprous salt of the C15 acetylene compound of formula (4) and then reacting the salt with the coupling reactant "isoprene chloroacetate" (4a) in an aprotic solvent such as dimethyl formamide (DMF). The cuprous salt is formed by reacting the C15 acetylene compound with a Grignard reagent such as methyl magnesium chloride in the presence of tetrahydrofuran (THF) giving off methane as a gas to form an acetylenic Grignard compound and then adding cuprous chloride, copper replacing the magnesium chloride group. Following this, isoprene chloroacetate dissolved in DMF is added; and the tetrahydrofuran is driven off under vacuum leaving a DMF solution in which all the reactants are dissolved. This solution is heated for several hours at 80° C. under nitrogen giving the C20 enyne.
In a particular example, the following components were employed:______________________________________C15 -acetylene (67.2% purity) 9.9 grams (0.0317 mole)Methyl-MgCl (1,25 M) 27 ml (0.0338 mole)CuCl 3.52 grams (0.0356 mole)THF (dry) 11 + 25 = 36 mlIsoprene Chloroacetate 6.4 grams (0.0396 mole)DMF 35 ml______________________________________
The Grignard reagent was added dropwise to a solution of 11 ml of THF (tetrahydrofuran) and the acetylene at less than 30°, followed by warming to 60° and maintaining this temperature for 2 hours. This was followed by cooling, addition of CuCl, and addition of the chloroacetate with the remaining THF. The DMF is then added and the THF removed under vacuum heating up to 50°. The coupling reaction was carried out at about 90° for 6 hours, producing 3.0 grams of pure product (28% of theoretical yield).
Method B
An alternative method comprises forming a complex molecule of cuprous chloride and Honig's base ##STR2## in DMF, the latter also having the C15 acetylene compound dissolved therein. This forms the copper salt which is then reacted with "isoprene chloroacetate" (4a) as in Method A. Other aprotic solvents and combinations thereof can be employed. Also, other amines such as t-butyl amine can be employed. Yields of the C20 enyne employing Method B are comparable to those employing Method A.
In this example, the following components were employed:______________________________________C15 - acetylene 20.6 gramsCuCl 9.9 grams (0.10 mole)Honig's Base 14.2 grams (0.11 mole)Isoprene Chloroacetate 18.6 grams (0.115 mole)DMF (dry) 30 + 30 + 30 = 90 ml______________________________________
The base, CuCl and 30 ml DMF under nitrogen were mixed with the acetylene in an additional 30 ml of DMF, at about 45°. This mixture was heated to 50° and the chloroacetate in the remaining DMF was added. The reaction took place at 80°-85° for 6 hours. The yield was 14.1 grams of pure product or about 45% of theoretical.
Hydrogenation
The compound of formula (5) is next subjected to selective hydrogenation to convert the acetylenic bond to an ethylenic bond. This can be readily accomplished by a number of different catalysts, such as a nickel catalyst prepared from a nickel salt and NaBH4, Lindlar catalyst, or 5% palladium on barium sulfate in the presence of quinoline. Selective semihydrogenation is commonplace, for instance as to conditions, amounts and procedures. In this particular example, the reaction was run at one atmosphere. Analyses by nuclear magnetic resonance and vapor phase chromatography showed the correct structure in good quantity.
The product obtained was 3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,5-dien-1-acetate (6), a C20 dienol acetate.
Saponification of the C20 Dienol Acetate to Dehydrophytol
The acetate of formula (6) is dissolved in 1-2% methanolic NaOH and allowed to stand for 12 hours at room temperature under nitrogen. The reaction mixture is then quenched with water, and the precipitated oil is taken up in hexane. The hexane solution after drying with anhydrous sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate is concentrated under vacuum, and the residual oil can either be distilled under high vacuum or used as such in the subsequent steps. High yields of dehydrophytol [3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,5-dien-1-ol (7)] were obtained. UV absorption showed no detectable conjugation. The product was chromatographed on alumina, which gave a pure material.
Condensation of Dehydrophytol with TMHQ to Yield Dehydro-Vitamin E
For the synthesis of dehydro-Vitamin E, 0.45 grams (1.54 millimoles) dehydrophytol of formula (7) is reacted with 0.23 grams (1.51 millimoles) trimethylhydroquinone to yield dehydro-Vitamin E following the procedure published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Volume 36, (19) pages 2910-12 (1971), by Wehrli, Fryer and Metlesics. Essentially the method involves first forming a TMHQ-BF3 complex in methylene chloride (2 ml) containing one equivalent of nitromethane (0.090 ml) and no excess BF3, by bubbling in the BF3 and precipitating the complex. The dehydrophytol is then added with 3.5 ml of methylene chloride at -20° C.; and the reaction is carried out for a period at -20° C., then at -10° C., and finally at room temperature to yield dehydro-Vitamin E.
The dehydro-Vitamin E obtained is hydrogenated with a platinum catalyst in methanol. Good yields of Vitamin E (alphatocopherol) are obtained.
General Application of the Invention
The invention has been described with reference to the synthesis of dehydrophytol (7) employing hexahydropseudo-ionone as a starting material. Concepts of the invention are also applicable to the synthesis of perfume products and other intermediates such as dimethyloctanol and others. These products can be synthesized by coupling a reactant having the general formula: ##STR3## where R3 is a halogen and R1 is hydrogen or COR2, R2 being a lower alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl, or aralkyl with a second reactant derived from a starting compound of the general formula: ##STR4## where R4, R5 and R6 are hydrogen, alkyl, phenyl, substituted phenyl or aralkyl.
Preferably R1 is COR2, R2 is methyl, R4 is methyl and R6 is hydrogen with R5 being any of the following:
              Table 1                                                     
______________________________________                                    
       1)  methyl                                                         
       2)  4-methylpentyl                                                 
       3)  4,8-dimethyl-1,7-nonadienyl                                    
       4)  4,8-dimethyl-3,7-nonadienyl                                    
       5)  4,8-dimethyl-1,3-nonadienyl                                    
       6)  4,8-dimethyl-1-nonenyl                                         
       7)  4,8-dimethyl-3-nonenyl                                         
       8)  4,8-dimethyl-7-nonenyl                                         
       9)  4,8-dimethylnonyl                                              
       10) 4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatrienyl                                 
______________________________________                                    
The products of the reaction will have the following general formula, R5 being as previously defined: ##STR5## Selective partial or total hydrogenation and saponification of the reaction product then yields products with the following skeletons depending upon the structure of R5.
              Table 2                                                     
______________________________________                                    
                    Skeleton of the                                       
R.sub.5 Radical (from Table 1)                                            
                    Product                                               
______________________________________                                    
Group 1             3,7-dimethyloctanol                                   
Group 2             hexahydrofarnesol*                                    
Groups 3-10         dehydrophytol                                         
______________________________________                                    
 *3,7,11-trimethyldodecan-1-ol                                            
By the term "skeleton", it is meant that the reaction product may be 3,7-dimethyloctanol (or any of the others listed in the right-hand column of Table 2) if the hydrogenation is complete; or alternatively, the reaction product may have some unsaturated sites remaining while maintaining the same structure or arrangement of carbon atoms if the hydrogenation is less complete.
Compounds of formula (10) can be made by the known reaction of ketones with the alkali metal salts of acetylenes, and specifically by the steps outlined above with reference to hexahydropseudo-ionone. For instance, to produce the compound of formula (10) with the R5 radicals listed in Table 1, the following ketones could be used:
              Table 3                                                     
______________________________________                                    
R.sub.5 Radical     Ketone                                                
______________________________________                                    
methyl              acetone                                               
4-methylpentyl      6-methylheptan-2-one                                  
4,8-dimethyl-3,7-nonadienyl                                               
                    geranyl acetone                                       
4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatrienyl                                            
                    pseudo-ionone                                         
______________________________________                                    
Thus, in a specific example, acetone is reacted with a compound such as lithium acetylide to produce a C5 -acetylenic carbinol ##STR6## which, when reductively dehydroxylated by the reaction sequence used for going from the C15 -acetylenic carbinol to the C15 -acetylene, and coupled with isoprene chloroacetate, forms a basic C10 skeleton capable of being hydrogenated and saponified to dimethyloctanol (C10 H22 O). Similarly, 6-methylheptan-2-one is reacted with lithium acetylide to produce a C10 acetylenic carbinol having the formula: ##STR7## This compound when reductively dehydroxylated by the sequence described above and coupled with "isoprene chloroacetate" forms a basic C15 skeleton capable of being hydrogenated and saponified to 3,7,11-trimethyldodecan-1-ol.

Claims (10)

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. A process for the synthesis of a compound having the general formula: ##STR8## wherein R1 is hydrogen or COR2, R2 being lower alkyl, phenyl, or aralkyl, R4 is methyl and R5 is alkyl; phenyl; aralkyl; 4,8-dimethyl-1,7-nonadienyl; 4,8-dimethyl-3,7-nonadienyl; 4,8-dimethyl-1,3-nonadienyl; 4,8-dimethyl-1-nonenyl; 4,8-dimethyl-3-nonenyl; 4,8-dimethyl-7-nonenyl; or 4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatrienyl; from a ketone having the configuration: ##STR9## comprising the steps of: (a) reacting said ketone with a metal acetylide to produce an acetylenic carbinol having the formula: ##STR10## (b) reacting said acetylenic carbinol with a halogen acid to produce a propargylic halide having the formula: ##STR11## X being a halogen; (c) reductively dehalogenating the propargylic halide to form the corresponding allene having the formula: ##STR12## (d) isomerizing the allene in the presence of a strong base to an acetylene having the formula: ##STR13## (e) coupling the acetylene of formula (5) in a coupling reaction with a compound having the general formula: ##STR14## in which R1 and R2 are as stated and R3 is a halogen, said coupling being carried out by reacting the acetylene of step (d) successively with a Grignard reagent in the presence of an aprotic solvent and then a cuprous salt, in that order, to form the cuprous salt of the acetylene, and then reacting the cuprous salt of the acetylene of step (d) with the compound of formula (6), also in the presence of an aprotic solvent.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein said dehalogenation of step (c) is carried out by dissolving the halide of formula (3) in a mixture of glacial acetic acid and zinc.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein said ketone is hexahydropseudo-ionone.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein said ketone is a compound selected from the group consisting of acetone, 6-methylheptan-2-one, geranyl acetone, and pseudo-ionone.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein R5 is methyl.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein the compound of formula (6) is 1-acetoxy-4-chloro-3-methylbut-2-ene.
7. A process for the synthesis of a C20 compound having the formula ##STR15## R1 being hydrogen or COR2, R2 being a lower alkyl, phenyl, or aralkyl, comprising the steps of:
(a) reacting hexahydropseudo-ionone with a metal acetylide to form a C15 acetylenic carbinol;
(b) reacting said acetylenic carbinol with a halogen acid to produce a C15 propargylic halide;
(c) reductively dehalogenating said halide to form the corresponding allene by dissolving the halide in a mixture of glacial acetic acid and zinc;
(d) isomerizing the allene to the corresponding C15 acetylene in the presence of a strong base; and
(e) coupling the acetylene with a reactant having the general formula ##STR16## where R3 is a halogen and R1 is as stated, said coupling being carried out by reacting the acetylene of step (d) successively with a Grignard reagent in the presence of an aprotic solvent and then a cuprous salt, in that order, to form the cuprous salt of the acetylene, and then reacting the cuprous salt of the acetylene of step (d) with the compound of formula (6) also in the presence of an aprotic solvent.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein the base of step (d) is a solution of sodium amide in ethylene diamine-ether.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein said halogen acid is hydrochloric acid.
10. A process for the synthesis of a compound having the general formula: ##STR17## wherein R1 is hydrogen or COR2, R2 being lower alkyl, phenyl, or aralkyl, R4 is methyl and R5 is alkyl; phenyl; aralkyl; 4,8-dimethyl-1,7-nonadienyl; 4,8-dimethyl-3,7-nonadienyl; 4,8-dimethyl-1,3-nonadienyl; 4,8-dimethyl-1-nonenyl; 4,8-dimethyl-3-nonenyl; 4,8-dimethyl-7-nonenyl; or 4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatrienyl; from a ketone having the configuration: ##STR18## comprising the steps of: (a) reacting said ketone with a metal acetylide to produce an acetylenic carbinol having the formula: ##STR19## (b) reacting said acetylenic carbinol with a halogen acid to produce a propargylic halide having the formula: ##STR20## X being a halogen; (c) reductively dehalogenating the propargylic halide to form the corresponding allene having the formula: ##STR21## (d) isomerizing the allene in the presence of a strong base to an acetylene having the formula: ##STR22## (e) coupling the acetylene of formula (5) in a coupling reaction with a compound having the general formula: ##STR23## in which R1 and R2 are as stated and R3 is a halogen.
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US4599469A (en) * 1984-05-29 1986-07-08 Phillips Petroleum Company Hydrogenation process
US4644085A (en) * 1983-06-30 1987-02-17 Rooperol (Na) Nv Rooperol and its derivates
KR100968265B1 (en) * 2008-06-17 2010-07-07 강원대학교산학협력단 Enyne-1,6-diol derivatives and synthesis of them

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US2369163A (en) * 1942-03-03 1945-02-13 Research Corp Synthesis of vitamin a
US3708505A (en) * 1971-02-25 1973-01-02 Diamond Shamrock Corp Process for preparation of d,l-alpha tocopherol

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US4644085A (en) * 1983-06-30 1987-02-17 Rooperol (Na) Nv Rooperol and its derivates
US4599469A (en) * 1984-05-29 1986-07-08 Phillips Petroleum Company Hydrogenation process
KR100968265B1 (en) * 2008-06-17 2010-07-07 강원대학교산학협력단 Enyne-1,6-diol derivatives and synthesis of them

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